(uniquement en anglais) 

Research and Innovation Centers of EBU Members and NHK move to closer collaboration

Media technology continues to increase in complexity, and media organizations such as EBU members need to take ever more complex strategic decisions about technical choices, and the services they offer the public.   Media organizations must become aware of the key technical trends and tendencies, and where needed they must work themselves on technical systems.    

Three EBU Members, the RAI in Italy, the grouping of German-speaker broadcasters the IRT, and the BBC in the UK, have high-competence teams in research and innovation centers to ensure they are well informed, and to undertake where needed research and development.    The NHK, the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, has also a Science and Technology Research Laboratory.   

All four laboratories have made notable contributions to the development of the media over the last decades.  

The laboratories have worked together occasionally  over time, but they have now agreed that there should be a more formal agreement to cooperate, to share knowledge and resources, to provide the maximum efficiency for their organizations.  In February 2007 an agreement was signed in Tokyo by the Heads of Research of the four laboratories.  

The agreement was signed by Dr Alberto Morello, Director of the RAI Research and Innovation Centre,  Dr Klaus Illgner, Managing Director of the IRT, Huw Williams, BBC Head of Research, and Dr Tanioka Director or the NHK STRL.  The signing was witnessed by Phil Laven, Director of the EBU Technical Department. 

From left to right: Dr Klaus Illgner, Dr Alberto Morello, Huw Williams, 
Dr Tanioka and Phil Laven.

Many challenges face broadcasters in the year's ahead, including new generations of high definition television, enabling technologies for the handicapped, and the tools for finding and using the vast array of media content that will confront the public.   

The collaboration agreement represents new thinking for a new age.   

This agreement will benefit not just the four laboratories themselves, but also the broadcasters of the EBU at large, and the world media environment.